(1) All licensed child care providers and registered group and family child care providers must:
- (a) provide nutritious meals and snacks to children in such quality and quantity to meet the USDA CACFP recommended dietary allowances for children of each age or have a policy stating that parents/guardians are required to send food for meals and/or snacks;
(b) serve meals and snacks at standard times, to ensure that:
- (i) children in care for five to ten daytime hours are offered at least one meal and two snacks or two meals and one snack. Children must be offered a mid morning snack if they are not offered breakfast at the child care facility less than 2 1/2 hours before lunch;
- (ii) children in care for a continuous period of ten hours or more must be provided at least one meal every six hours and one snack between meals. The six-hours requirement does not apply during the hours that the child is sleeping when night care is provided;
- (iii) children receiving night care are offered dinner and/or breakfast, and a bedtime snack; and
- (iv) children in care for fewer than five hours are offered one snack every 2 1/2 hours;
- (c) for each child with nutritional therapeutic needs, request and carefully follow written special dietary instructions from either the child's parents/guardians or health care provider. Food brought from home for special dietary purposes must be carefully labeled with the child's name;
- (d) plan menus in advance, post menus for parents/guardians, and serve meals and snacks in accordance with the planned menus;
- (e) supervise children if they prepare food and while they eat;
- (f) ensure that drinking water is freely available and offered at regular intervals to all children; and
- (g) retain written menu records and any special dietary instructions.
Authorizing statute(s): 52-2-704, 52-2-735, MCA
Implementing statute(s): 52-2-702, 52-2-704, 52-2-723, 52-2-731, 52-2-735, MCA
History: NEW, 2025 MAR, 37-1044, Eff. 5/1/25.